


Message Received

by TheAwkwardStar



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen, It's angst again lol, Not Canon Compliant - Kingdom Hearts III, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 09:28:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20387479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAwkwardStar/pseuds/TheAwkwardStar
Summary: After using the Power Of Waking, Kairi meets up with Riku in the Sleeping Realm and joins him in his quest to find Sora. As they get closer to their missing friend, Kairi's gummiphone begins to pick up strange messages...





	Message Received

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prompt I made a while back that I posted on my Tumblr. Just some predictions of what could happen after KH3. Even if it's not canon and gets disproved later, I hope you all like it!

“Ugh…”  


Kairi rolled her body to the side. Her fingers grazed against the wet, black concrete she was lying on. She scrunched up her nose at the sensation of her hand dropping right into a puddle. She turned her body the rest of the way and used her arms to push herself up, then finally opened her eyes. 

“…Where…am I?” 

Kairi dried off her hand by rubbing it on her skirt. She sighed when she noticed it left a bit of smear. She could worry about that later. She studied the surroundings around her, which seemed to blur ever so slightly. She wasn’t sure if she was dizzy, or if it was just the way it was all supposed to look.  


She was standing right in the middle of an empty street, tall buildings looming above her. The lights from their open windows reflected off the pavement, giving an almost ethereal glow to the area. Kairi placed a hand on her chin, thinking.

_…Did it work? Am I really in the Sleeping Realm now? Even though…the others didn’t want me to…_

Kairi thought back to her previous conversation with Yen Sid, along with Lea who was completely against her plan to search for Sora and Riku. On her own.

_“NO. You can’t do this, Kairi.”  
_

_“I won’t be alone. I’ll catch up to them.”  
_

_“Don’t give me that again!” Lea snapped. “I know it hurts to hear this, but he’s GONE. It really, REALLY sucks that it has to be that way. But he told us he would find his way back after saving you. And he DID save you. All we can do now is wait for him and hope for the best. Not go out and put ourselves in danger, leaving THIS realm completely defenseless!”_  


_“Waiting isn’t good enough, Axel!!!!” Kairi’s voice cracked. “It’s NEVER been enough!”  
_

_Kairi closed her hands into fists, biting her lip as she struggled not to cry._

_“…You should know that better than anyone. You know exactly how I feel.”  
_

_Lea lowered his head._

_“You’re right. I do. I felt the same way you did when I lost Roxas and Xion.” he looked down at his hands.  
_

_“…I got impatient. I wanted to bring my friend back. So, I did awful things like kidnapping you. All so I could get Sora’s attention. See if I could bring out Roxas by doing that.”_

_.“….All I did was make things worse for everyone. I painted a big target on myself for betraying the organization. It got me KILLED. Almost died a second time, too. THAT’S what I’m trying to drill into your stubborn head.” _ _Lea placed a hand on her shoulder._

_“Don’t go. Please. _ _Sora gave you a second chance on life, like he did for Roxas, Xion, and Ven.” he squeezed. _

_“Don’t. Waste it.”_

_“Kairi.”  
_

_She turned her head towards Yen Sid, who had listened patiently during their argument. She rubbed her teary eyes, sniffing._

_“M…Master Yen Sid.” Kairi lowered her arm. “I’m sorry. I just….”  
_

_Yen Sid shook his head. “I understand how painful it must be for you to be separated from your two friends. Wanting to go look for them in the Realm Of Sleep is quite brave and noble of you.”_

_“…But you must also understand that Lea is right. After your untimely demise at the Keyblade Graveyard and your revival thanks to Sora, it would be too dangerous for you to risk your life yet again.. I am afraid…that I cannot give you permission to use The Power Of Waking. It is an ability that, if used unwisely, can have serious consequences. Sora himself paid a terrible price by wielding it recklessly.”_

_“As a Princess Of Heart and a Guardian Of Light, we need you here to protect the balance of the worlds in Sora and Riku’s stead. You must wait until they return on their own.”_

_Kairi shut her eyes. Lea watched her nervously, worried about how she would react to the master’s words. His breathing eased a bit as he saw her slowly nod. _

_“…Okay.”  
_

_Lea placed a hand on her head. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, clearly still upset._

_“Just hang in there, alright? Me and the others, we’ll be with you every step of the way.”  
_

_Kairi didn’t respond, instead giving him another curt nod. Lea rubbed the back of his head._

_“I don’t know if this’ll cheer you up much, but…you want some ice cream?”  
_

_Kairi shrugged. Lea sighed and ruffled her hair. _

_“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’. Come on, let’s get outta here.” Lea nudged her, then glanced back at Yen Sid.  
_

_“Thanks for hearing her out, teach.”  
_

_Yen Sid nodded. “Of course. Be careful, you two.”_

_***_

Kairi shook her head. She didn’t want to think about the looks on their faces when she went behind their backs, using the very ability they’d warned her not to wield. The last thing she remembered was Lea running towards her, crying out her name before she ran straight into a portal.

Even now, she wasn’t sure how far she had dived. The portal was _supposed_ to lead her to Sora’s heart. But the connection she used to feel so strongly with him had become almost nonexistent. She could at least still feel the bond she had with Riku, but that only worried her more. If she could sense one, but not the other…

“Maybe…Sora really is….” her voice quivered.

_“…No._ I can’t give up.” Kairi lifted her arm, summoning Destiny’s Embrace. She looked up to the pitch black sky, the moon obscured by a cluster of clouds.   


“I’ll find him. I know I will.”  


“Kairi?”  


She spun around, immediately recognizing that voice. 

_“Riku???”_  


He looked exactly the same as when he left. She’d expected his hair to grow a _little_ after all these months, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. She did remember from Merlin and Yen Sid’s training that like the Realm of Darkness, time worked differently in the Sleeping Worlds. Riku’s light blue eyes remained locked to hers for a brief moment, registering that she was really there.

“Why are you-_how_ did you-”

Riku was cut off as Kairi tackled him with a tight hug. She buried her face into his shirt and started to sob. He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back gently. Once she calmed down a bit, Riku pulled back and held her by the arms.

“…Kairi…you shouldn’t have come.”  


***

_Message failed to send._

_Retry? **Y**/N_

_Hey, Kairi!_

_I know it’s been a long while already, but I promise I’m doing my best to get back home. I hope that you’re getting these! Otherwise it’d be pretty awkward to be talking to myself haha_

_…So…how are you doing? How are the others? Are Donald and Goofy freaking out about me being gone? Is your training going okay? How’s Riku handling all his master stuff? I hope it isn’t too much for him!_

_I tried to message him too, but my texts won’t go through no matter how many times I do it. So I tried sending a message, THIS message, to** your** number instead. And it actually worked! I’m a little worried that my gummiphone keeps telling me you haven’t read it, though…_

_…Either way, I know you’ll see this eventually! I really hope you do. I’ll keep sending you more messages every day if I have to. I’ll just…stop rambling now._

_…I really miss you guys. I’ll be back soon._

_-Sora_

It started to rain.

Kairi and Riku both pulled up their hoodies, running down the sidewalk to find a building for some cover. Luckily, a hotel was nearby with some cover just before the entrance. The two friends stopped running once they were beneath it, breathing heavily. And in just a few seconds, the rain began to pour.

“Made it. Just barely…” Riku panted. “Kairi, you okay?”  


She nodded, smiling back at him. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Good.” Riku pulled down his hood, then looked out to the rain with a solemn expression. Kairi rubbed her arm awkwardly.

“…Riku?”  


“Yeah?”  


“What have you been doing all this time?”  


Riku glanced at her.

“…How long has it been in the Realm Of Light?”  


Kairi pursed her lips. 

“…A few months. Five, if were being more accurate.”  


“Five months…” Riku eyes widened slightly, then his expression shifted to one of disappointment.  


“…Man. Time really flies up there, huh?”  


“Mmhmm.” Kairi sat down on the red carpet underneath them, pulling up her legs to make sure the rain wouldn’t touch her. The last thing she needed was to catch a cold, if that was even possible in the Sleeping Realm. Riku joined her shortly after, resting his arm on his raised knee.  


“…I’ve been trying to find Sora this whole time. But whenever it feels like I’m getting closer, he slips away.” Riku lightly punched the ground with his fist.  


“Now here you are, wanting to see if I made any progress.” he closed his eyes. “…I’m sorry. I let you both down. Some master I am…”  


“That’s not true.” Kairi placed her hand on his shoulder. “Riku, you’re_ amazing. _You’ve always been strong enough to face whatever danger is thrown at you. And you do it all while staying true to yourself.”

Kairi looked down.

“…I was the one who couldn’t handle it. I’m the one that let everybody down. I’m supposed to be back up there with Axel, and Namine, and Roxas, and everyone else. Helping them keep the worlds safe. But I was selfish and focused on my own pain and desire. I came down here to try and join you guys, not knowing if I would even make it alive. I’ve wasted the chance Sora gave me to live a normal life…left the worlds one princess and a guardian short…all because I couldn’t stand being without him anymore.”  


Riku shook his head. “You had good intentions. Don’t beat yourself up about it. You’re not the only one who wanted to protect him.”

He stood up, and reached out to her. The rain finally began to subside into nothing but tiny sprinkles. 

“We’ll fix this. Together.”  


Kairi lit up and took his hand. As she stood up, they both suddenly flinched as a familiar jingle began emanating from Kairi’s skirt. 

“Is that…my gummiphone?” Kairi dug into her pocket, feeling the vibration of the phone going off. She pulled it out and turned on the screen. Riku leaned forward to get a better look at it.  


_You have **1** Unread Message_

Riku frowned. “That’s not normal. Phones don’t work in this world. Believe me, I’ve tried.”

“How could my phone be going off, then?” Kairi gasped. “…Unless…”  


She tapped the screen to read it. The contact’s name and photo were glitching out, making it indecipherable. But the message had remained intact. Kairi didn’t need to see either to know exactly who it was. She teared up, placing a hand over her mouth. 

“He’s really here. He’s….he’s really…” her voice cracked.  


“That’s impossible…” Riku whispered. “It _should _be impossible. But the message is there. It’s _Sora.”_  


“That kid sure is full of surprises, isn’t he?”

Riku and Kairi raised their heads at the sound of a voice they didn’t recognize. They each pulled out their keyblades at the sight of a black coat. The coat of _The Organization._

_“Who are you???” _Riku bared his teeth.  


“Whoa, whoa!” the mysterious hooded man flailed his arms and took a step back. “Careful where you point that thing! You could really hurt someone.”  


“Answer his question.” Kairi grabbed her keyblade with both hands, getting into a defensive stance.   


“Why are you dressed like Organization XIII? What do you want with us?”  


The stranger chuckled. “What makes you think I’m with _them?_ In case you forgot, they’re long gone. Well…for the_ most_ part, anyways. Odd how the heart works in our universe.”

“As for who _I _am, I’d be happy to answer that for you!” he put his arms behind his back.  


“I…am the _Master Of Masters.” _he bowed. “Please, hold your applause. I know it’s a pretty big deal.”

Riku and Kairi exchanged a perplexed glance. The stranger’s shoulders slumped.

“…Seriously? _Nothing?_ Not even a ‘Wow!’ or ‘Didn’t see that coming!’?”  


The two teens continued to stare blankly at him. The ‘master’ groaned loudly in irritation.

“Don’t they teach you kids_ anything _nowadays? The Master Of Masters? You can find info about this in _any _book or report regarding keyblade wielders and masters??? You’ve got that same lost look in your eyes like that spiky-headed kid did!”  


“You’ve really seen Sora???” Kairi approached the cloaked man while Riku eyed him warily.   


“‘Course I have! He’s not too far away from here at all.” he shook his head. “…Because THAT is a bigger deal than meeting_ me,_ I guess…”  


“Where is he?” Riku narrowed his eyes.  


“Like I said, Mr. Moody. Not far away.” the master crossed his arms. “And at the same time, further away than he’s ever been.”  


“What does that even _mean?” _Kairi inquired.  


“Sorry to burst your bubble, Princess, but you probably should’ve listened to your friends on the other side.” he pointed upwards with his thumb. “Sora is most definitely toast. Finito. Sleeping with the fishes. You get the idea. But at the same time, he_ isn’t.”_  


“…Your spiky friend is currently trapped within a reality just before death. Much like the Final World, but not in the same world you know. You two are in the _true _reality. Or at least, the one you’ve been living in. So if you want to reach him, you’d have to break the barrier between this reality and that reality. I wouldn’t recommend that, considering it would tear apart the fabric of space and time. You can kiss your lives goodbye if that happens, as well as everyone else’s.”  


Kairi and Riku lowered their heads, distraught by the stranger’s words.

“…So…we can’t do anything?” Kairi winced. “There’s no way to bring him back at all…?”  


“Ah ah, I didn’t say THAT.” the master raised his index finger. “There is a way. There’s _always_ a way. It’s very risky, though. I probably shouldn’t tell you. You _did _hurt my feelings, after all.”  


“No, please!” Kairi insisted. “Please tell us. We want to know. Right, Riku?”  


Riku rubbed the back of his head, still dubious about this supposed ‘Master Of Masters’ that had appeared out of nowhere. But as he kept thinking of what little progress he’d made, and how alone Sora probably was as they spoke…he finally conceded.

“…Fine. I want to hear it. We’re desperate.”  


The master stared at the two keyblade wielders intently for a few seconds, tapping his foot. He then nodded vigorously.

“Alright! I’ll tell you. I’m still a_ little _offended that you don’t know who I am, but I’m willing to let that slide. I want to see if you kids can actually pull it off.”  


Riku nodded. “So, what do we have to do?”

“It’s simple, really.” the master leaned back against a street sign, then pointed at Riku. 

“YOU’VE already done this plenty of times. It’s the girl I’m a bit concerned about since she’s only done it twice.”  


“Wait.” Riku raised an eyebrow. “…Are you saying that we have to dive _deeper _into the Sleeping Realm?”  


“Ding ding ding! That’s right!” the master clapped. 

“…Funny thing about the Sleeping Worlds. Dive deep enough, and you’ll reach the end of road. _The Final World._ It’s the only point between life and permanent death, so in_ theory,_ it can also work as a point between all the different timelines and realities too. Even if you make it out in one piece, you may not end up in the same time or place you were before.”  


_“That’s _how far are we supposed to go…?” Kairi shuffled her feet nervously. “…The Power Of Waking can only be used by traversing hearts to reach worlds, right? Not the other way around…”  


Riku hummed. “Kairi’s right. We clearly can’t reach his heart, so we have to do the opposite. But if we’re not careful, there’s a chance we could end up trapped like Sora is. The three of us won’t be able to go back home…”

“And that’s the catch.” the master shrugged. “Up to you if you wanna risk it or not. I’m just wondering how long Sora can handle being trapped in that reality before he loses it.”  


_“Loses it?!?”_ Riku and Kairi exclaimed.  


“Hey, chill out!” the master lifted his hands. “He’s totally fine. No need to panic. For _now,_ at least…”  


Kairi turned to Riku.

“If you want to do this, we can’t waste anymore time. But like he said, there’s always another way. We don’t have to go through with this.”  


“…” Riku pondered what Kairi had said. On one hand, they would only make things worse if they could never go back. But on the other…Sora didn’t deserve to be in that place for any longer. They had to save him as soon as possible.  


“…Kairi…” he closed his eyes. “…You can still back out of this. Are you sure you’re ready for whatever the Sleeping Realm might throw at us?”  


Kairi gave him a firm nod.

“I want to save him, Riku. No matter what it takes, I’ll bring Sora home.”  


Riku smiled faintly. “Figured you would say that. And I know there’s no changing your mind, either.”

They looked over at the Master Of Masters. Riku took a deep breath.

“…We’ll do it.”  


“Fantastic!” the master said giddily. “In that case, I’m off. I’ll keep an eye on you two to see how you’re doing. Oh, and Kairi?”  


“Yes?”  


“Be sure to pay attention to that phone of yours. You never know what might pop up.”  


“…Okay…” Kairi’s eyebrows creased as the master strolled past them and down the sidewalk. He gave them one last wave as he crossed the street, then vanished in the blink of an eye.  


“…Weird guy.” Riku tilted his head.  


“Yeah…” Kairi mumbled in agreement.  


_…Why did he feel so…familiar?_

***

_You have **3** Unread Messages_

_ _~Sent **!@#$?& **weeks ago~_  
_

_Hi Kairi! How’ve you been? I hope you’re not too worried about me since I didn’t send any messages for a while. Got distracted fighting off some Heartless and Nightmares (which is kinda weird??? Only N_ightmares_ and D_ream Eaters_ are supposed to appear in the sleeping worlds!). I think this means I’m getting closer to the Realm Of Light, so that’s a plus!_

_…I guess you want to know what I’ve been doing all this time. I’ve been exploring some more worlds on my own. So, same as usual. But I kinda miss talking to Donald and Goofy whenever I traveled, especially during our last adventure. They really helped me feel less scared and alone. Err-don’t tell them I said that! I almost let it slip once. I don’t wanna act THAT mushy around them if I’m going back home soon! They’ll never let me hear the end of it._

_Keep it a secret for now, okay? I’ll tell them when I’m ready._

_-Sora_

_ ~Sent **%$!+#? **Weeks Ago~ _

_I met someone strange today. He calls himself ‘The Master Of Masters’? Never heard of it. He says he’s super important when it comes to keyblade wielders, as well as the balance between light and darkness. But if that’s true, why didn’t Yen Sid or Mickey ever tell us about him? Maybe…they didn’t know he existed either?_

_…Nah. There’s no way. Even if Mickey didn’t want to tell us, Yen Sid usually gives us any information we need. It probably wasn’t important to talk about just yet. We WERE busy fighting Xehanort and Organization XIII, after all._

_He told me he knows a quicker way to get back to the Realm Of Light. But in order to do that…he says I have to use the darkness that’s buried deep inside of me._

_…I don’t know. It sounds too dangerous. I do want to go home really badly, but…wouldn’t using the darkness **change** me in some way? It changed Riku, after all. It took a really long time for him to recover and be his old self again. The darkness was too powerful for him to get over that easily._

_…How strong…is MY darkness? I’ve never really thought about it until now. I don’t think this ‘Master Of Masters’ has any idea what he’s asking of me. I’ve always used the light. I have to. But if using darkness is the only way…do you think I should listen to him, Kairi?_

_…Please answer._

_-Sora_

_~Sent **$@$÷%!** Weeks Ago~_

_It’s getting harder to fight all these monsters on my own. I rarely get a moment to rest. Every day (or however time works down here), I have to keep my eyes peeled for any danger. I can’t risk losing my heart and fading away. Not again. Everyone’s counting on me._

_My light. Alone, it’s not strong enough. It was the same back at the Keyblade Graveyard. Maybe that ‘Master’ guy was right after all…._

_…Um, don’t worry! I’ll be fine, Kairi! I’m always fine. I’ll return to the Destiny Islands before you know it! We’ll eat some ice cream with our friends, make some sand castles, run across the beach like old times, watch the sunset…_

_…Yeah. We’ll be together again. I promise._

_-Sora_

_~Sent **@$!#%/!** Weeks Ago~_

_Please don’t be mad at me for this._

_…I accepted that master guy’s help. He’s been watching me all this time to see what I would choose. Which is kinda creepy, but I’m desperate. I can’t keep going on like this._

_I’m not strong enough with my light, so I’ve been trying to tap into my darkness. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard. Although I do have one gap in my memory from channeling it, which…scares me. The master told me it wasn’t anything I should worry about, but…I don’t know. This all feels wrong. _

_But what else can I do? I’ve run out of options. I’ve tried using the light, and it failed. This is the only way._

_…Kairi, I wish you were here. I feel so lost without you. If you can’t answer me, could you at least…keep believing in me? It would mean a lot._

_…Don’t forget about me._

_-Sora_

_ ****_

“Don’t let go.”

"Don’t worry, I won’t.”

Riku held onto Kairi’s hand as they dove towards the next world. Hopefully, it was the last one. It was difficult to say how far they had gone already, but each world they came into contact with seemed to have higher numbers of Nightmares. So, at least they knew they were going in the right direction.

And to top it off, each world they visited gave Kairi a chance to read a message that Sora had sent to her. His messages were always funny and lighthearted, which never failed to put a smile on her face when she was feeling down. Not everything about this rescue mission was so bad.

“Do you think we’re any closer to the Final World now?”

“We have to be.” Riku narrowed his eyes. 

Kairi sighed. “…Okay, what’s wrong?”

“What? Nothing’s wrong.” he averted his eyes.

Kairi shook her head. 

“I’ve known you long enough to tell when you’re worried. What’s bugging you?”

Riku smirked. “Nothing gets past you, huh?” 

“Nope.”

Riku’s smile faded.

“I just….want you to be careful. I don’t want to lose you too.”

Kairi squeezed his hand. “You won’t lose me. We’ll get out of here. The _three_ of us. Our friendship is stronger than any distance.”

“Careful. You’re starting to sound a lot like Sora.”

She giggled. “I learned from the best.”

The two friends turned their heads to face the light, which was getting brighter by the second. They started squinting once it became too hard to see.

“We must be getting close. Brace yourself.” Riku took a deep breath.

Kairi nodded silently. She knew this light. Even though she couldn’t recall it well, it was the same light she had seen when she saved Sora…and when he saved her. 

_This is it. We’re coming, Sora._

****

In the world where the sky meets the sea, a familiar friendly spirit was waiting to see if the Hero Of Light would ever arrive, per the silent request of her master’s heart. As she stood there, the faceless man in the black coat appeared beside him. The spirit knew this would happen at some point, much to her displeasure.

“Why do you keep bringing so many strangers here? This is the _end of the world, _not a vacation spot for tourists.”

“Hey, Chirithy! What are you doing back here???” The master bent forward and patted the spirit’s fluffy head. 

“I think the real question is what YOU’RE doing here.”  


“I’ve got a reason for everything I do.” he stood up straight and put his arms behind his back. “Don’t question my process! Just roll with it like those kids are.”

“Please. You didn’t even give them a choice!” Chirithy stomped her stubby foot. “This isn’t right and you know it.” 

“Right and wrong is _subjective,_ my little friend. Whether you’re the good guy or the bad guy, whether you use light or darkness…that can all change if you have the right _incentive.” _the master poked Chirithy’s pink nose.

“So you’re treating these people like they’re all part of a game. Typical.” Chirithy huffed. “You haven’t changed at all.” 

“No need to.” The master shrugged. “I _am_ eternal.” 

“Ugh.” the spirit turned her back to the Master of Masters, crossing his arms. “I’m through talking with you. I’m keeping an eye on those kids to make sure they don’t kill themselves for good. You can’t stop me.”

“Suit yourself. Not like you can do much.” The master started walking away. “What you _should _do is go back to your owner. He must be worried about you.”

“Oh, and you should try telling him the truth about his past sometime! Hiding it doesn’t make you much better than me.”

Once the master left, Chirithy let out a distraught sigh.

_As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. I have to tell my master everything sooner or later. He’s not going to like it…._

Chirithy could see a light steadily growing in the center of the crystal clear water. He covered his eyes as a bright keyhole manifested, then unlocked from the other side. Two beams shot out from it and landed on the ground. Once the light settled, she took a peek at the keyblade wielders that had emerged from it.

Kairi opened her eyes. She gazed out at the clear sea that laid before them. She said nothing to Riku for a while, who was still taking in the strangely breathtaking scenery. He raised his head to look at the clouds, which moved slowly across the blue sky. Time seemed to work normally in this world.

“…We made it.” Riku looked over at Kairi, who smiled back at him.

“Took you guys long enough!”  


“Huh?” Kairi looked past Riku to see a small animal waddling towards them. She accidentally tripped on her own feet and fell to the ground face first.  


“Oh no!” Kairi let go of Riku’s hand and ran over to the spirit. He immediately chased after her.

“Kairi, hold on!”  


She stopped in front of the peculiar animal and crouched down to get a better look. She felt Riku kneel next to her. The spirit rubbed her nose and got back up. She was taken aback by how close the two friends were to him now.

“That was a pretty nasty fall.” Kairi leaned forward a bit. “Are you okay?”  


“Y…yeah. I’m fine.” the spirit shook its head. “Note to self: don’t run, just _teleport….”_  


She cleared her throat. “Might as well introduce myself. My name’s Chirithy. You two must be Riku and Kairi.”  


“How do you know our names?” Riku raised an eyebrow.  


“Oh, that’s easy. I met Sora once and learned about his friends through my partner. He even went through the effort of becoming friends with me.”  


Kairi’s eyes widened. “Do…do you know where he is???”

Chirithy shook her head. “Sorry. I have no idea. He should’ve ended up here at some point, but it seems that he already moved on to somewhere else. I wish I could help more…“

“No, it’s alright.” Kairi gave him a sad smile. “It’s not your fault. Maybe…we can find some clues around here.”  


“That’s why I’m here! Although I probably should’ve told my keyblade wielder where I was going…” Chirithy laughed nervously. 

"Your…keyblade wielder?”

“Uhh….” Chirithy looked down. “…You both know him, for the most part. Sora had a special bond with him for the longest time. _He’s_ my partner.”

“Are you talking about Ventus?” Kairi inquired. “Or maybe Roxas?”

Chirithy sighed. “Why don’t you just ask when you get back home? I don’t wanna stay here for any longer than I have to. I’m sure you two feel the same.”

“…Oh, that gives me an idea! How about we search _together?_ We’ll cover more ground that way.”  


Riku’s mouth opened slightly. “You’d really help us? Just like that?”   


“Uh huh. I’m sure Sora would want us to get along, after all.”  


“Well, that much _is_ true.” Riku grinned.  


“Then it’s settled!” Kairi chimed. “We’ll split up and start looking for any leads to him. Let’s get started!”  


Chirithy and Riku nodded. “Right!”

****

For the first time since Kairi had joined him in the Sleeping Realm, he was finally alone with his own thoughts. Riku found himself reminiscing on how easy their lives on the Destiny Islands had been. Back before he even laid a finger on a keyblade.

…If he hadn’t taken that vow when he met Terra all those years ago, they could’ve had a normal life. Unburdened by the endless battle between light and darkness, the guilt whenever he failed any of his friends and comrades, or protecting millions of worlds that were light years away from home. 

And yet…he found himself not wanting to change anything. Everything he and his friends had experienced, both good and the bad, helped them grow into stronger people. If he ever had to do it all over again, he wouldn’t change a thing. Everything had worked out in the end.

….Except…for losing Sora. Although he told Kairi to stop putting the blame all on herself, he couldn’t help but think it was all his fault too. If he’d done a little more, or done something differently….

If he’d stopped Sora from leaving that day, he would still be with him and everyone else. But it would’ve been at the expense of Kairi, who never would have come back. No matter how he looked at it, there was no possibility that the three of them would be together. 

…He was almost _jealous,_ thinking of the others. Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. Roxas, Xion, and Lea. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. Even Isa and Namine got a second chance. They were all reunited with no strings attached. And Sora had to suffer for it.

Before his thoughts trailed off to darker things, his eyes fell onto something gleaming in the water. Riku immediately recognized that golden hilt.

“…It can’t be…!” Riku sprinted in the direction of the object, then stopped dead in his tracks. His breath got shaky as he stared at the Kingdom Key, lifeless without a person wielding it. He bent down and cautiously picked it up.  


Wrapping his fingers around the black handle was deeply nostalgic for him, since it technically was his first keyblade. It was still warm to the touch, as if someone had been holding it recently. Riku scanned the area around for any signs of Sora. Anything at all. Dismayed, he realized there was nothing but water as far as the eye could see. The keyblade truly was his only clue.

_“Riku!!!”_  


He swiveled his head around at the sound of Kairi’s panicked voice. She stopped in front of him, breathing heavily as she carried her phone in one hand. She paled at the sight of Sora’s keyblade.

“Where…did you get that?”  


“I found it right here.” Riku lifted the weapon up. “But no Sora with it. He would _never_ abandon his keyblade. Something must have happened…”  


The two friends remained quiet for a bit. Kairi eventually broke the silence by turning on the screen to her gummiphone.

“…That…isn’t the only problem. Look at what he sent me. I just got these messages.”  


Riku took the phone and quickly read through what Kairi had received. His heart twisted when he saw what Sora had decided to do and that he believed it was the only way to return home. But what truly concerned him most was the last message that was sent recently:

** _~!@#$%*&?~_ **  


** _  
_ **

** _  
_ **

** _  
_ **

** _  
_ **

_I’m scared._

Riku gave the phone back to Kairi, visibly shaken. A lump formed in his throat. What was Sora afraid of? Was it an enemy of some sort? The Master Of Masters turning out to be a threat?

…Or…was he afraid of the_ darkness? _Maybe…his_ own…?_

Riku gritted his teeth.

“…Kairi, we have to find him _now.”_  


Kairi bit her lip. “But how? We don’t even know where to start looking…”

“Then we’ll dive again. There has to be something beyond this point. That ‘Master Of Masters’ said so. I don’t trust him at all, but we have to try _something.”_  


“You can’t!”   


Riku looked down as Chirithy ran to him and hugged his leg.

“You can’t dive to reach Sora’s heart. If you try diving to a _world _with the power of waking, you’ll be lost to the Sleeping Realm forever!”  


_“I won’t abandon him here!”_ Riku snapped. “We’ve come this far already!”  


“Riku, don’t yell at her! This isn’t Chirithy’s fault!” Kairi tugged at his jacket.  


Just before Riku could apologize, Kairi’s gummiphone started ringing again. The three of them froze, noticing that it was a phone call. Kairi looked at Riku, who slowly nodded at her to answer. She gulped then accepted the call, raising the phone to her ear.

“H…hello?”  


All she could hear was static noise on the other end. Then for a just a moment, she managed to make out a soft voice.

“Sora? _Is that you?”_  


_“K……….ai………”_  


Kairi covered her mouth, her vision blurring with tears. It really _was_ him.

“We’re here! We came to bring you back home! Where are you???”

She cried out as the static blasted in her ear, almost as if it were screeching. She drew her arm back as the phone screen glitched, then shut off. Riku rushed over to her and put his hand on the side of her head.

“What happened?!? Are you alright???”

“I’m…f-fine.” Kairi was sweating nervously from the call. Riku took the phone from her and placed it in his pocket.

“I’ll hold onto it for now, okay?”

Kairi nodded, rubbing her eyes as she cried quietly. Chirithy gazed at the two keyblade wielders, regretting every moment that they stood here. With or without Sora, they needed to leave.

Her ear perked up suddenly. Somewhere close by, the water was rippling. Riku noticed the spirit’s alertness.

“What’s wrong?”

Chirithy’s ear twitched. “Something’s coming. And _fast.”_

“But we…” Kairi lowered her arm. “…We haven’t found Sora yet.”

“If you stay, you might end up with a bigger problem on your plate.” Chirithy’s fur bristled.

“Whatever’s coming is from the darkness. I can feel it.”

“The darkness…?” Riku said quizzically, sensing the negative energy as well. “In a place like this?”

“We’re _much _closer to it here than you might think.”  


Chirithy shuddered as a much more pronounced ripple passed underneath their feet. Riku and Kairi summoned their keyblades. Riku held onto Sora’s with his left hand, gripping the hilt tightly. Shortly after, they observed the water around them form black splotches that bubbled up, threatening to burst open.

“Stay close to me, Kairi!” Riku got into his battle stance with Kairi right behind him. Chirithy stood in the center to avoid getting hit, silently wishing that that stupid Master Of Masters had given her more abilities than basic knowledge and teleporting.   


Riku and Kairi gasped as the bubbles popped loudly, releasing a large swarm of Heartless. Kairi struck the first Heartless that emerged from the horde, sending it flying. It disintegrated once it splashed against the ground, triggering the rest to charge towards her in retaliation. She spun around, giving Riku a chance to decimate a good chunk of the Heartless. It was much easier to wipe out enemies with two keyblades in hand, but at the same time more strenuous. He had to put his whole body into every swing just to land accurately. Once he got too tired, he let Kairi take over for a short while.

“There’s too many of them!” Kairi slashed at a Shadow that tried leaping at her. “We can’t do this forever!”  


“We just have to keep them at bay for a while! At least, until we get a chance to find Sora!” Riku impaled a Neoshadow that had gotten too close for comfort.  


Chirithy huddled in between the two wielders, tapping her paws anxiously. 

_If they keep this up, they’re going to be overwhelmed…! I hope they come up with a better plan than that!_

Riku raised his blade to block an attack from another Shadow. He flung the small creature off of his weapon, then glanced back at Kairi. Her expression was strained as she continued to fight off large clumps of Heartless from getting too close.

_This isn’t getting us anywhere._ Riku grimaced._ I have to think of something. What could we use to drive these Heartless away?_

His thought process trailed off as the mass of Heartless began to recede. And for a moment, he actually hoped that the creatures were finished with them. 

But it was too good to be true. Instead of retreating, they began to attach their limbs to each other. Riku, Kairi, and Chirithy collectively gasped as the Heartless formed a massive column of writhing, uncontrollable darkness. He’d seen this before, in the Realm Of Darkness. Each time that apparition appeared, it meant nothing but trouble. It almost got him killed to face it on his own. It was nearly successful in the Keyblade Graveyard too, if it hadn’t been for Kairi and Sora directly interfering with their fate.

_….I don’t know what to do. I can’t save everyone on my own. _Riku shut his eyes, drowning out his surroundings with silence.

_…Sora…_

“…Riku!”  


“Huh?”  


_“RIKU!”  
_

He felt someone shove his head down, then heard the swift motion of a keyblade slicing apart some Heartless. He opened his eyes to see Kairi, valiantly swatting away the column of Heartless from crushing them. It eventually backed away, but not by much. It was getting ready to attack again.

“Are you okay?” Kairi bent forward to look at him. “You…kind of spaced out, so I had no choice but to react.”  


Riku stared at her silently for a few minutes, then smiled warmly. 

“That’s right. Even if he’s not around…I’m never alone.”  


“Huh?”  


Riku shook his head, gently patting her shoulder. He looked over at the swirling mass of Heartless, slowly inching their way towards them. Riku turned his attention back to Kairi, then to their keyblades. His face glowed as he suddenly had an epiphany.

_“That’s it.”_  


“What? Youhave an _actual _idea on how to deal with this?” Chirithy said sassily.  


Riku nodded. “Whenever I fought with Sora, we never just battled individually. We used_ joint_ attacks, too. Maybe that’s what we need to scare these Heartless off.”

“…I was so wrapped up in doing this without him, that I never thought of doing it with the friend _right in front of me._ A friend…who’s just as strong as us.” Riku turned towards Kairi with a guilty expression.

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize it until now.”  


Kairi placed a hand on her hip, smirking. “Took you long enough, you big dummy. Why do you think I came down here in the first place?”

“Fair enough.” Riku looked to the side. “I definitely won’t forget next time.”  


“Uhhh, guys?!?” Chirithy tapped Kairi’s leg. “Whatever you’re planning to do, you’d better do it _now!!!”_  


Riku and Kairi exchanged a firm nod, then walked past Chirithy to face the Demon Tower. The each took a deep breath.

“You ready?” Riku glanced at Kairi, who was already in her battle stance.

“Yeah.”  


Chirithy gawked in awe as the two guardians began to glow with an ethereal light. They brought the three keyblades together, fusing it into one, giant blade. The two friends let out battle cries as they leaped high into the air, above the Heartless. With all their might, they swung downwards and drove the blade straight through the tower. The Heartless let out one dying shriek as they disintegrated, leaving nothing behind. Kairi and Riku floated back down to the ground without a single scratch on them. 

“…Whoa…” Chirithy took a step back as the light that encompassed their bodies began to fade.   


“…Okay. THAT was amazing. Sorry I ever doubted you.”  


Kairi and Riku laughed a little at Chirithy’s remark. They turned towards each other, smiling.

“You felt it too, didn’t you?” Kairi lifted Sora’s keyblade, holding it with Riku. “It was like…he was right there with us.”  


“Yeah.” Riku looked between her and the keyblade. “It was so strange…and yet, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Like we were meant to do this together.”  


The two of them pressed their heads against the blade.

“Sora…if you can hear us, please. Give us a sign.” Kairi teared up.  


“…Let us find you.”  


Chirithy sighed. _They just won’t quit, will they…? Though I have to admit, even I felt that. His presence was close._

_…But something still felt off about it. What could the REAL issue possibly be?_

Chirithy looked out to the water…and nearly fell over from shock. Her tiny squeak was enough to get Riku and Kairi’s attention.

“Chirithy? What’s wrong?” Kairi said worriedly.  


_“Lo…Look over there!!!” _the spirit pointed aggressively to the left. They followed her stubby arm to were she was aiming.  


Kairi’s eyes swelled with tears. Her keyblade slid out of her hand and hit the water. Riku’s face turned ghost white.

Something was walking towards them, dragging its feet against the water. As it got closer, the clothes and the spiked hair were unmistakable. The friend they’d been searching for, after all this time…

…His body completely shrouded in darkness.

“Sora…” Riku’s voice cracked. Kairi’s heart skipped a beat as he abruptly bolted towards the figure.   


“Riku, wait!”  


Riku skidded to a halt directly in front of him, sending a few droplets of water flying. The dark figure’s shoulders were slumped, his head lowered. No part of his face was visible except for a set of glowing, yellow eyes. Riku reached out to touch him, but found himself hesitating. He gritted his teeth, fighting back the urge to cry.

“Sora…is it really you?”  


The figure raised his head to stare at Riku. He didn’t respond.

“Can you hear me?” Riku asked nervously.  


No reaction. It simply stared right back at him. Kairi caught up to them, her heart racing with each step she took closer to ‘Sora’. She didn’t resist the tears that poured from her eyes.

“…It’s okay. You can talk to us. We’re here now.”  


The creature craned its head towards Kairi. It gazed at her curiously. Without hesitation, she stumbled forward and embraced him tightly. Riku almost reached out to yank her back, but the overpowering darkness he sensed didn’t appear to be affecting her.

“Such is the power of a Princess Of Heart…” mused Chirithy.   


Kairi’s eyes squeezed shut as she buried her face into his shirt.

“…I missed you.”  


Chirithy tugged at Riku’s pants. He kneeled down to face the small spirit.

“You think something’s off too, right…?” Riku said, clearly disappointed by his own words.  


Chirithy nodded. “I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news after all the progress you’ve made, but…”

She looked over at Kairi, still hugging the creature.

“…I sense no light inside that thing. Not even a single speck. It’s an empty husk. There’s no way that could be the _real_ Sora with nothing but darkness. There’s always a little in a heart, no matter how dark or evil a human may be.”

“And yet…I can sense traces of him within it. His heart is still in this world, someplace else. We must be very close.”  


“What do we do, then?” Riku said.  


“For starters, you’re going to have to break it to _her.”_   


Riku sighed. He stood back up, then approached Kairi with a solemn expression. 

“Let him go.”  


Kairi pulled back for a moment to glance back at Riku.

“…What?”  


“That’s not him.” Riku gave her a pained look. “…I’m sorry.”  


The light in Kairi’s eyes faded slightly. She released the creature that looked like Sora, rubbing her wet cheeks with her hands. Riku then noticed that the creature had turned its attention to something else: The Kingdom Key. He was still holding onto it, despite putting his other keyblade away. Riku took a step back as it started inching towards him. Kairi rubbed her arms, still ashamed that she hadn’t seen the difference as quickly as Riku and Chirithy had. Her emotions had clouded her judgement.

** _ <strike>Want it.</strike> _ **

Kairi’s head shot up. She looked around in confusion.

“…Did you guys hear that?”  


“Hear what?” Chirithy asked. “All I hear is you talking.”  


** _ <strike>Have to. Want to.</strike> _ **

“There it is again!” Kairi placed a hand on the side of her head. “There’s a strange voice talking.”  


_“Whose_ voice?” Riku’s eyebrows creased. He took another step back as the creature started reaching out for the keyblade in his hand.

** _ <strike>Need to. Need to…have it.</strike> _ **

Kairi pointed at the creature.

. “…It’s coming from _him._ I think it wants Sora’s keyblade, Riku.”

The creature hesitated for a second, then abruptly lunged forward to swipe the weapon. Riku backed away before it could reach him. It almost tripped on its own legs, which made Kairi feel pity for it. She didn’t feel that for long as the creature’s eyes gradually turned red, glaring at Riku.

“…I think you made him mad.” Kairi gulped. “M…maybe you should put the keyblade awa-”

Kairi and Chirithy yelped as the creature suddenly shot towards Riku, spraying water all over them. Riku blocked its hands, which had sharp claws at the tip.

“He’s…trying to attack me?!?” Riku grunted as the creature forced him back a few inches. “Why does he want the keyblade so badly???”  


“Remember, that isn’t the real Sora!” Chirithy hopped up and down. “Don’t even THINK about giving it to that thing!”  


Riku bared his teeth, then yelled as he shoved the creature back. It fell to the ground noiselessly, baffled by the keyblade wielder’s retaliation. Riku aimed the keyblade at its face.

“You’re just an illusion, aren’t you?” Riku frowned. “…I’ve dealt with illusions of Sora before. I _refuse_ to fall for it again.”  


Riku drew back with Sora’s keyblade, ready to strike it down. The creature stared at him with wide eyes, breathing in and out rapidly as its limbs twitched unnaturally. Riku took a deep, agonized breath, then yelled as he lunged forward. Kairi turned her head away while Chirithy covered her eyes.

…Silence.

Kairi turned back to see what Riku had done. She placed a hand on her mouth as she saw the blade inches away from the creature’s neck, but it never connected. Riku stumbled backwards, losing his grip on the Kingdom Key.

“I…I can’t do it.” he single tear fell from his left eye. “Even though I know it’s not him, I…I just _can’t. _I can’t do this _again…”_  


Kairi found herself letting out a small sigh of relief. She knew Riku didn’t have the heart to destroy Sora, real or not. But after a few minutes, her expression shifted into fear.

“Riku! _LOOK OUT!!!”_  


Before he could even react to her warning, Riku felt something slam into his abdomen. With the air knocked out of his lungs, he couldn’t even cry out in pain. He hit the ground roughly, tumbling for a few feet until he came to a standstill.

Kairi looked around, her heart racing as dozens of the creatures that resembled Sora manifested from nothing. Chirithy hugged her leg, shaking a little as they all bore their red eyes into them. Their attention quickly diverted over to the same thing the first one had been searching for. 

Sora’s keyblade lied only a few feet away from Riku, who was still unconscious. The clone that had appeared in front of him had done a lot of damage. More dark creatures began slithering towards him and the keyblade.

Kairi picked up Chirithy, then started running in the same direction as those creatures. The spirit wriggled a little in her arms.

“What are you _doing?!? _You’re going to get hurt!!!”  


“I’m not going to let them take it!” Kairi sped up. “And I _especially _won’t let them hurt Riku a second time!”  


Kairi managed to run past a few of the creatures, grabbing their attention. Chirithy peeked back at the ones they left in the dust. They inevitably were being drawn to the two that were interfering, but not enough to chase after them. It was only after Kairi’s last desperate action that they _really_ started to care.

“Hold on!” Kairi held Chirithy close to her chest. The spirit ducked her head.  


_“I hope you know what you’re doing!!!”_  


With a split second to bend her knees, Kairi leaped forward and performed a somersault to propel herself even further. Once she stood up straight, the Kingdom Key was hers. She paused for a moment, feeling the strange warmth of the hilt like Riku did. It never got cold, no matter how many times it hit the water.

_It’s like…I’m still holding his hand_. Kairi closed her eyes.

“Umm, hello???” Chirithy knocked on her head. “This REALLY isn’t the time to be daydreaming!!!”   


Kairi’s eyes snapped open. She pressed the keyblade to her body as the creatures surrounded her. Chirithy’s tiny body slumped in defeat.

“Welp. We’re dead.”  


“Not yet, we aren’t.” Kairi set Chirithy down in the water next to her, then summoned Destiny’s Embrace back to her right hand.  


“I can do this. I’m going to protect _both of you.”_  


“Oh dear.” Chirithy ducked her head. “I can’t watch.”  


The clones rushed towards Kairi, extending their clawed hands towards her. She let out an angry cry, slamming both blades into the first clone. It vanished into a puff of red smoke, causing for the others to attack as well. Kairi swung at them haphazardly with both blades, occasionally missing one or two that dodged her attacks. She attempted slamming both blades against the ground so a wave of light would form, but even that only took out three of the clones.

“How does Roxas make this look so _easy?!?” _

Kairi slashed at a single dark creature that tried scratching her. It didn’t vanish right away, giving it another opportunity to strike. She grunted in frustration as she blocked its attack with one blade while it faded away, using the other to swat at or smack any other clones. She stopped for a moment to breathe when the creatures gave her some space. They wouldn’t stay back for long.

_Sora…where are you?_ Kairi wiped some sweat off her brow.

_…I know you’re here, somewhere._ She tightened her grip on the Kingdom Key. _I..I need your help._

As if it had heard her plea, the keyblade began to glow. Kairi smiled.

“…I knew it. You are here with me.” Kairi swung down with both keyblades, holding them on each side of her confidently.  


“Let’s finish this.”  


Kairi dashed towards the dark clones, barreling through them by slashing in an ‘X’ motion. A few of them formed a tight circle around her, trying to claw at her exposed skin. She retaliated by jumping up in the air, spinning in a deadly circle that wiped the enemies out. Once she landed, a clone that tried ramming into her was held back by the blades. She shoved it away, then blasted it with her Pearl magic.

Meanwhile, Chirithy had rushed over to Riku to try waking him up. She shook the young master violently, getting anxious as some of the clones were still keen on crawling towards him. She didn’t want to imagine what sort of awful thing they were planning to do.

“Come on, Riku! Wake up!” Chirithy shouted. _“You have to wake up!!!”_  


Riku still wouldn’t budge. Letting out a frustrated grunt, Chirithy kicked some water in his face. He gasped as Riku’s eyes opened a little bit, dull from exhaustion.

“…What…? What…happened?” Riku struggled to push himself up with his arms, moaning as the center of his chest throbbed in pain. He manged to sit down straight, despite his aching body’s protests. Chirithy flinched at the sight of the scars through his white shirt.  


“Are you alright? That injury…”  


“I’ll be fine.” Riku placed his hand on his chest and started to heal himself with a weak cure spell. He felt Chirithy press against his leg, whimpering as the dark Sora clones got closer. Riku attempted to summon his keyblade, but the light kept fizzing out before it could form. All it did was make him feel queasy.

Before the creatures could reach Riku and Chirithy, Kairi swooped in and blew them away with a stream of light. The rest of the clones scurried away shortly after, not wanting to face the guardian anymore. The three of them saw the creatures sink into the water, restoring the peaceful silence of the Final World.

Riku stared at her, genuinely impressed. He hadn’t expected her to pick up on dual wielding so quickly. Then again, she _was_ always full of surprises.

“…Thanks,” was all he could bring himself to say. Kairi turned back with wide eyes, then grinned at him. Her expression shifted into worry when she noticed his wound.   


“Here, let me help.” Kairi started walking towards him.  


** _ <strike>Ǧ̶̤͕Ĩ̵̠͖͘V̸̭̬̑Ȩ̴̖͂̓ ̷͔͙̔̔I̸̗͋T̶̰̐ ̴̖͎̆B̶͕͛́Ä̷̲̠C̷̰K̵̡̩̈́</strike> _ **

Kairi felt her heart skip a beat as the water beneath her rumbled. She screamed as a pair of ice cold hands grasped at her legs. She tried to free herself, but the claws only dug harder into her skin.

_“Kairi!” _Riku forced himself to stand up, clutching the wound. His vision blurred as he struggled to reach his friend.   


Kairi could feel herself sinking deeper into the water. She tried to attack the shadowy arms that were holding her, but both keyblades seemed to phase right through them. It yanked harder with each failed attempt.

By the time Riku had reached her, the water was already past Kairi’s waist. It was getting harder for her to even move her arms. 

“Kairi! Take my hand!” Riku extended his hand out to her. She put Destiny’s Embrace away and tried reaching back. He leaned forward and managed to clasp her arm.

Riku fought against the creature that was dragging her down, using all his strength to keep her from going any deeper. Kairi winced as Riku’s wound started to open up again.

_…If he keeps this up…he’ll bleed out. I can’t let that happen._

Kairi’s lips quivered. “…Riku. Let me go.”

_“No!” _Riku tugged harder. “I won’t lose you too!”  


“You’ll die! You can’t handle all this strain!”  


_“And what about you???”_  


Kairi winced. She didn’t know how to answer him. For all she knew, Sinking down into the depths would kill her too. But she couldn’t bring herself to just let him go through with this. Both Riku and Sora had suffered enough.

“Kairi.”  


She turned her head to see Chirithy next to her. She lowered her head.

“…Look down.”  


She did as the spirit said. A small twinkle of light deep inside the water reflected in her eyes. Her heart soared with what that could possibly mean.  


Kairi looked back up at Riku, her mind set with what she had to do. Riku felt her grip loosening.

“Just trust me.”  


She felt Riku’s hold weaken a bit at her words. Kairi gave him a sad smile.

“I’ll see you…on the other side.”  


Riku yelled as Kairi released him. Her eyes slowly closed as he banged fruitlessly against the surface. Kairi sighed, letting out small air bubbles from her parted lips.

_…Riku. We’ll be back before you know it._

****

_There is a single heart you must save. A Hero Of Light, lost in the dark._

_He has been waiting for you._

_…Do you have the resolve?_

Kairi landed gently on her feet. Her eyes shot open as she gasped for air…then found that she could still breathe. Kairi looked around in confusion. Once again, she had no idea where she was.

_…It’s so dark. I can’t see anything._

She decided to walk in a random direction. She could hear the splishing of water underneath her, similar to how it was in the Final World. Was she still there? Or was it someplace else entirely?

…At least the Kingdom Key had stayed in her hands. It helped her relax. But she couldn’t shake off the unsettling feeling that something was wrong. After all…it was still a mystery _how_ the Kingdom Key had ended up in the Final World. Either Sora truly had lost it, or maybe…

** _Kairi. _ **

She spun around desperately. His voice was suddenly so close. But it was impossible to see where it was coming from.

_“Sora???”   
_

Kairi heard footsteps. Her heart felt like it was going to come out of her chest as they got louder. She yelped as hundreds of red eyes appeared all around her. She pulled out Destiny’s Embrace as an extra line of defense. Seeing that they didn’t attack her immediately only made her more wary.

Another pair of those intimidating eyes formed a few feet away from her. Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw that it was another Sora lookalike. Only…something was different about this one. She noticed there were strange, white, glowing symbols on his clothes. He raised his arm in a much more natural movement than the others.

Kairi felt the Kingdom Key suddenly resisting her firm grip. She gasped as the blade lifted up against her will. And in a flash of light, it vanished from her hands. It felt like Sora was being ripped away from her all over again. But it didn’t last long once she saw that the weapon reappeared in the shadowy figure’s hand.

Kairi was too afraid to move. After all of the disappointment she’d gone through, she didn’t know if she could handle any more.

“…Please, tell me. Is this real…?”  


The darkness pooling out of the figure began to draw back into his body. Kairi clenched her hands as the familiar features of Sora’s face became more visible. He stared back at her with those empty, yellow eyes, his expression unreadable. They weren’t changing back to that sky blue she knew so well. Kairi’s heart fell at the sight of his blackened skin, infected with darkness as it coursed through his veins.

A ghost of a smile formed on his mouth.

** _“You found me.”_ **  



End file.
